CEDAW/C/PHL/7-8 maternal deaths. The program develops policy and standards in the development of adolescent friendly health services to be integrated in the health system. In March 2013, a new policy was issued to fill the gaps like clear directives to LGUs, management of adolescents in emergency settings, monitoring and evaluation mechanism, and the roles of various agencies. It likewise focused on ages 10 -19 years to be responsive to the new and emerging issues of the Filipino adolescents. Another effort is the competency training of health care providers in the management of adolescents. Peer health educators in schools and leaders for health and health advocates of out-of-school adolescents were also formed to improve accessibility and availability of quality health services for young people. A strategy initiated to address adolescent health is the creation of the Task Force Batang Ina (Child Mothers) Consortium, a platform for discussion on adolescent and sexual and reproductive health and rights, composed of government, academe a nd civil society organizations. 145. The State Part also conducted a series of Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) Workshops were conducted to develop a unified framework of comprehensive sexuality education that is age, developmentally and culturally appropriate to the Philippines. The CSE consultations sought to promote evidence based experiences on the impact of sexuality education among young people and discussed challenges faced by educators in different contexts and issues like teen pregnancies, HIV transmission, sexual and other forms of violence, human trafficking, stigma and discrimination and access to adolescent reproductive health information and services. On legislation on divorce 146. Divorce is still not allowed under Philippine laws. The recourse for married couples to end their marriage is through legal separation or through a declaration of nullity and annulment of marriage, as provided under the State Party’s Family Code. The Family Code also allows the Philippine nationals to remarry should his or her alien spouse obtained a divorce that capacitated that alien spouse to remarry. 147. The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), the University of the Philippines (UP) Law Centre, the Ateneo Human Rights Centre (AHRC), and the Public Attorneys’ Office (PAO), among others, offer free legal services for couples who opt to go through the Family Code sanctioned annulment of marriage. 148. A bill legalizing divorce that was filed in the 15th Congress by Gabriela Women’s Party (HB 1799) did not pass but was re-filed under the 16th Congress. Under the proposed legislation, grounds for divorce are premised on the irreparable breakdown of the marriage and the total non-performance of marital obligations. 149. Members of Congress and the Senate are divided on the issue of divorce. On rural, indigenous and Muslim women 150. The MCW prioritizes marginalized groups of women and children, such as rural and indigenous women and Muslim women. The law promotes the rights of rural women to productive resources and the provision of basic services on health, education, housing, etc. to fulfil their human development needs. It emphasize s that equal status should be given to women and men, whether married or not, in the 15-03079 33/36